Title

Authors

Source

Maine Times

Date

11-26-1998

Pages

4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Abstract

Feature "Health Care" article on modern anesthesiology and anesthetic agents such as propofol, which is administered intravenously, and various gases such as oxygen, nitrous oxide and isoflorane that are administered in a mixture, which is regulated by a Narkomed monitoring machine. Advances have drastically reduced the rate of anesthesia-related deaths in the U.S., which have fallen from 1 in 4,500 surgeries in 1970 to closer to 1 in 400,000 today. According to Charles Adams, M.D., who is one of 34 anesthesiologists working at Maine Medical Center, the laryngeal mask airway is one of the most important advances in anesthesiology equipment, and two of the most important advances in monitoring technology are pulse oximetry, which measures oxygen in the blood, and end-tidal capnography, which allows the anesthesiologist to track the level of gases a patient is exhaling. With references to Spectrum Medical Group, a professional partnership that includes anesthesiologists established in response to managed care.